CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A North Carolina State Board of Education committee is attempting to convince Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to pilot a controversial program overhauling teacher pay and licensing.
The proposal called Pathways to Excellence for Teaching Professionals is in its draft stages but has already been condemned by the North Carolina Association of Educators.
The proposal includes more than changes to licensing, but this portion of the proposal is drawing the most criticism.
The licensing structure currently takes years of experience, evaluations and other criteria into account, meaning the higher the license, the higher the pay.
“I want to know what all the positives and negatives would be,” vice chair of the CMS board Stephanie Sneed said. “Like ... will this put us on a pathway of being able to move to really secure retaining and recruiting teachers?”
On Monday, the chair of the Professional Educator Preparation and Standards Commission Van Dempsey, which is the group in charge of drafting the proposal, spoke to members of CMS’s Intergovernmental Relationships Committee. Sneed chairs this committee.
“We just need all of these pieces to come together so that we have a complete package for it in order for us to make informed decisions,” Sneed said.
During the presentation by Dempsey, some board members expressed skepticism and some skeptical teachers commented about the merits of the program and any plans to have CMS pilot it.
“Is it safe to say that of the 98,000 teachers we have in the state that 60 were involved in making this framework? Approximately?” former teacher and now CMS board member Melissa Easley said.
Teachers opposed to the proposal have widely criticized the PEPSC committee for a lack of communication and input from teachers.
“Well virtually sat on the workgroups, and the subcommittees, that would be true or correct,” Dempsey said in response to Easley's question.
Sneed said CMS has made no decisions on piloting the program.
“We want to make sure that the potential participating in a piloting program, that we'd have all the pieces in place so that you know it is not a hindrance to teachers doing their duties,” Sneed said.
One district already out is Union County Schools.
In a tweet, Superintendent Andrew Houlihan said: “UCPS will not be a participant in this “pilot”. When districts across our state are striving to recruit/retain Ts, this plan is going to help? I don’t think so!"
Dempsey said the proposal is still subject to approval by the state board of education, and, after this, it would need to receive funding and approval from the general assembly for the pilot.
CMS will also be hosting a hiring event Wednesday, February 22nd to fill open vacancies.
Many of the open positions will include teachers, bus drivers, and custodial services.
The event will be held at Charlotte Mecklenburg Independence Regional Library from 10am to 1pm.
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